Leveraging the Gig Economy at Any Age

Leveraging the Gig Economy at Any AgeLeveraging the Gig Economy at Any Age1We often hear that age 50 is the magical turning point that demarcates greater difficulty landing a job. The vast majority of Americans who work into their 50s, 60s, and beyond need to keep making money as they grow older but encounter widespread discrimination in job hunts and at the workdistribution policy, writes Peter Gosselin inForbes.In fact, age discrimination may start even younger. A 2018 study by theAARP that surveyed nearly 4,000 people age 45 and up who were job hunting or employed full- or part-time found that 90% of these older workers believe that age discrimination happens routinely, with over 60% of these respondents having seen or experienced it firsthand. The survey found that age discrimination begins at age 40, with 30% of participants having experienced at least one of the following after turning 40 because of their ageNot getting hired for a job to which they appliedGetting passed over f or an opportunityHearing a colleagues age-related negative remarksHearing a supervisors age-related negative remarksBeing laid off, fired, or forced out of jobBeing denied access to training/professional development opportunitiesAll of this is true despite the fact that there have long been federal protections in place that are designed to help prevent age-related employment discrimination. In fact, 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of when theAge Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)- one of the premier statutes enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)- went into effect. AsVictoria A. Lipnic, acting chair of the EEOC, writes age discrimination remains a significant and costly problem for workers, their families, and our economy.Its not all bad news, though. Savvy experienced workers over age 40 can leverage a secret weapon the gig economy. Unlike a traditional job search that generally involves face-to-face- or at least video-to-face- interviews that can put workers who look older at a disadvantage, securing work in the gig economy creates a mora level playing field.Freelancers can bid online for jobs on platforms like Upwork or win clients via email and website communications. Many gigs dont require a formal resume to apply, but rely more on a freelancers or entrepreneurs portfolio of previous projects. This type of vetting process gives more veteran workers a fairer shake- or even an experience advantage over more junior contractors- thats based on their professional background rather than their graduation date or look.Yet some 50- and 60-somethings may shy away from the gig economy, fearing its dependence on technology. In this day and age, and given the pervasive realities of age discrimination, failing to embrace the opportunities that gigs offer people of all ages is clearly a mistake. In an article inForbes, Richard Eisenberg interviewed Olga Mizrahi, author ofThe Gig Is Up. In response to a question about whether more peopl e in their 50s and 60s will join the gig economy, Mizrahi is unequivocal Absolutely. Its almost like Can you get ahead of it before its forced on you?In the article, Mizrahi also acknowledged the apprehension that many in this age group feel about shifting from traditional work to the gig economy It can seem super scary and I understand this, said Mizrahi. But know that there is tremendous opportunity. and other job search platforms are a great place to begin exploring all of the gig, contract, freelance, and flexible work opportunities available- to people of any age and life stage.